Policy Enablers for Renewable Energy Self-Consumption in Decentralised Energy Systems
Abstract
Renewable energy self-consumption is increasingly relevant to Saudi Arabia not only as a sustainability measure under Saudi Vision 2030 but also as a mechanism that may support electricity system resilience, demand management, energy diversification, and investment. This study examines how the Saudi regulatory system converts the formal recognition of renewable energy self-consumption into operational enablement. Drawing on regulatory governance theory, the study adopts an embedded qualitative single-case design combining semi-structured interviews with 15 experts and qualitative content analysis of official Saudi regulatory and policy documents. Interview and documentary evidence were analysed thematically using NVivo 12. The analysis identifies five interconnected dimensions of regulatory enablement: legal operational clarity, institutional coordination, adaptive regulatory capacity, commercial enablement, and architecture-specific technical compatibility. The findings indicate that relevant regulation exists, but the experts perceived continuing implementation concerns relating to licensing and connection pathways, surplus electricity settlement, institutional coordination, commercial predictability, and the treatment of storage and newer distributed energy arrangements. The official framework distinguishes distribution-connected, transmission-connected, and off-grid systems and permits storage under specified conditions; however, the practical accessibility of these arrangements remains an important concern. The study contributes by distinguishing formal regulatory recognition from operational regulatory enablement and by proposing a framework connecting rule design, institutional coordination, technological adaptability, commercial viability, and system architecture. Because the evidence is qualitative and context-specific, the findings identify regulatory governance conditions requiring further technical and economic evaluation rather than establishing the relative magnitude of all barriers to adoption.